Hey guys I'm new here, I have a 17" macbook pro running tiger, Adobe CS3, a busted keyboard/trackpad, 2 exploded batteries, and no help from Apple. I attempted to get the keyboard/trackpad fixed by a reputable and licensed shop in NYC and they told me the cheapest way to fix the problem(a simple loose physical connection b/w keyboard and computer) was to send it to Apple and pay $340. Thats a lot of money for something I know is not that difficult of a problem to remedy. So after confiscating my friends iMac keyboard mouse, my MBP was limping, but worked. Then for the second time in a year, my battery exploded. Not a violent burst, but a slow bulge that resulted in the metal casing that contains the battery to snap off.
Now, my MBP looks like its on life support; running off the power adapter, no battery, an iMac keyboard/mouse eating a USB port, and if I have my ext. hard drive, a camera, and printer hooked up, which I usually do, it looks like a jumbled mess of wires and devices everywhere.
So in order to avoid forking over $340 for the keyboard/mouse plus the $130 for a new battery (the price of which has jumped $10 every year since I bought the computer) I went into Apple to buy a mouse, keyboard and battery, all for approximately what I would have paid for just the keyboard/mouse repair. Par for the course of my Apple Store experiences, I was told I needed to be running leopard to be able to use the mouse and keyboard.....how much does leopard cost? Another $130. I laughed in the "genius'" face and practically threw the items I was trying to buy on the display table at the store. I literally feel like I am being extorted. After purchasing a THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR LAPTOP, I now need to spend either $470 to have it repaired and buy a batt. or $380 and STILL not have a functioning keyboard/trackpad.

I truly apologize for having such a long winded and bitter first post, but I feel compelled. Every company on the planet is veiled by slick advertisements, ingenius product designers, engineers and the like. And while the world falls in love with the modern, blank white backgrounds of all of Apple's commercials and billboards, the people who have problems with their "amazing" machines and cannot do their jobs, and are being forced to spend insane amounts of money on things that are supposed to be quality.

Obviously I'm upset and needed to vent. I applaud anyone who cares enough to read and respond. I am also grateful in advance to anyone who suggests what I could do to not spend all my money just to get the computer back to how it's supposed to operate.

That's the main problem with all the big corporations who, after earning a considerable market share, like Apple, think they can do almost anything with their costumers. And the truth is that they can, because there's no law that stands up and say they cannot do that.

The case you stated is one of the main reasons, that despite all the problems with windows machines I rather by a normal laptop, like HP or Sony, and then put the Leopard in. I have the drivers problem but in what cames to technology software problem are always easy to resolve then hardware ones.

If we think a lit more on this we see that the iPhone is the same thing. We it gets broken you have to take it to Apple and even they don't fix it. They simple change it for a new one. If is out of warranty... you have to pay for almost the same as a new one.

Just my thoughts on this.

I appreciate some support and commiseration. I'm a graphic designer fresh out of college and do not subscribe to the wide-eyed idealistic college graduate attitude. Im a stoic and pragmatic person, and for the three years I've had my MBP I've been an avid proponent of MACs but now, I can see that Apple has become one of those corporate monsters that you're right, is now pulling the same BS with the Iphone. It's an hilarious and sad cycle of making amazing products, distributing them, then forcing the consumer to fork over more cash in order to continue using their product. Nonetheless I'm ecstatic to have found this forum, and from what I can tell it's a crucial resource for my future with computers, everyone here seems very nice and incredibly knowledgeable. Stay tuned for updates as I build my hackintosh!

Apple is doing only business but not paying head to it's client's satisfaction. They charge more & more money for a simple task. This is not fair.